Texas Gulf Sulphur Company’s Beaufort County mining complex is a massive investment toward the recovery and processing of phosphate, a material which forms one of the basic ingredients of fertilizers. The mining complex is situated on an inlet of the Pamlico River, and overlies the Castle Hayne Aquifer. This article discusses concerns over mining operations, groundwater conditions, pollution, and legislation.

North Carolina has vast supplies of underground water aquifers. As the population and industry development rise, there is concern about how to protect water resources from pollution. Without proper control, runoff of phosphorus and other nutrients can cause excessive growth of unwanted algae.